Lausitz Festival starts with "Sonettfabrik" in Domsdorf

The Lausitz Festival will once again turn the region into a stage for artists from all over the world. From August 24 to September 14, the audience can expect a diverse program of dance, theater, concerts and staged readings. The organizers are expecting 10,000 guests over the entire period, according to a spokesperson.

There are 23 venues in 13 unusual locations - from old industrial halls and churches to a disused mine. This year, the festival has 40 percent less program budget available, which is part of the medium-term financial planning. "This has an impact on the total number of events, which this year is around half that of last year," said the spokeswoman.

More than 2,000 tickets have already been sold, and 15 of the 34 dates are currently sold out, said the spokeswoman. Prices have risen by around ten percent compared to the previous year. "At the same time, the ticket prices are designed so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to take part," she said.

Start in briquette factory

The first performance will take place in the historic briquette factory in Domsdorf, now a technical monument. The play "Sonnet Factory", which is based on Shakespeare's sonnets, will premiere there. "The opening is a bold undertaking," said festival director Daniel Kühnel. "We are taking Shakespeare's refined, sophisticated sonnets as text material - the highest poetry of the Renaissance - and presenting it in a briquette factory from the late 19th century."

The Louise briquette factory in Domsdorf is a fascinating, incredibly well-preserved industrial monument, said Kühnel. "Performing theater there, a very musical theater by the way, is something really great." After one of the last rehearsals, he said: "I have never been as moved and emotional as I was during this production."

Remembering the composer

"Othello/The Strangers", also based on Shakespeare, is making a comeback. Director Marcel Kohler is staging the work in the former glass factory in Weißwasser, as he did last year. In Görlitz, Berlin composer Marius Felix Lange will dedicate himself to the Sorbian legend of "Krabat" - his family opera gives the legendary figure new musical life.

The birthday concert for Estonian composer Arvo Pärt will be a special highlight. To mark his 90th birthday, his works will be performed in Görlitz and the concert will also be broadcast live across Europe. In Bautzen, a song recital with Ute Lemper will commemorate Kurt Weill, who would have been 125 years old this year.

The Lausitz Festival is taking place for the sixth time. The motto for 2025 is "unsbewusst" (conscious of us) and, according to the organizers, focuses on the "we" and the community.